Debby Yoder, Contributor

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Atlanta's Historical West End Fade Away

Posted by Michael Bartone, ATLANTA, GA -- Atlanta’s West
End (a designation that encompasses the smaller neighborhoods of West End, Vine
City, and Washington Park to name a few) is home to three Historically Black
College and Universities (HSBCUs), and has a rich cultural history in the "City Too Busy to Hate". From these
institutions (Spelman, Morehouse, and Clark Atlanta—collectively called the
Atlanta University Center or AU) came many well-known as well as unknown civil
rights leaders who fought for the rights of Black Americans. Preceding the
modern day civil rights movement, Dr. W.E.B. DuBois published his most famous
piece, The Souls of Black Folk in
1903 while teaching at Atlanta University, which merged with Clark University
in 1988 to form Clark Atlanta University.

Driving just west
of AU on Martin Luther, Jr. Dr. (MLK) there is a street renamed after a leading
civil rights organization, the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. A
plaque commemorates this organization, which was not founded in the West End
but had its headquarters there. One would imagine ongoing investment in a
neighborhood that was home to such an influential civil rights organization and
historic universities, but that's not the case. In fact, demographic information for
this neighborhood speaks volumes. Within the 30314 zip code, with a population
of 27,181, 96 percent of the residents are Black; there is an unemployment rate
of 16 percent; 37 percent of the residents live below the poverty line; the
median income is $19,438; and homes are valued at $68,700, far below the Atlanta average of
$116,800. Following the boundary of AU, with its iron rod fence, it is easy
to see signs of poverty and disinvestment. Ironically, you would not see
anything like this in the neighborhood surrounding Emory University, which is predominantly
White. Indeed that community is mostly
White, wealthy, and home values are $259,000 greater than those in the West End.

Not far from AU is the now abandoned Paschal’s Motor
Hotel and Restaurant, which was a hub for civil rights leaders in the the 1950s
and 1960s. Further down the street are
more abandoned business buildings, a few soul food restaurants, and several
barber shops. Across from these businesses there is a new WalMart under construction.
Some residents are happy about the WalMart, while others are concerned about the impact it will have on the local businesses already in the area.

Those planning sessions at Paschal’s and the inspiring
work that came from them appears to have faded away. While there is still pride among the residents
who reside here, there is also frustration. One resident asked why he should
care if the political leaders of the city do not. But the West End
is a historically and culturally rich community, which should be valued and reinvested in. If that were the case my hope would be that this community becomes revived with the spirit of Black pride and community activism, which existed not
too long ago. Come on City Hall, help fade the West End back in, the Black Mecca needs it.

Michael Bartone is a doctoral student in Educational Policy Studies at Georgia State University. He can be contacted at mbartone1@gsu.edu.

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